Tag: Mount Rushmore National Memorial

With tourism being South Dakota’s second-largest industry, you can bet there is a lot of sightseeing to do here. The Black Hills, especially, is packed with picturesque, travel hot spots.

We remain optimistic about this year’s RV travel season despite its rough start due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re cautiously hoping that as this starts to pass, there’ll be enough cabin-fever to make people want to pack up the RV and head out on a road trip.

No sightseeing tour of the Black Hills is complete without Mount Rushmore. The monument is recommended by nearly everyone, and for good reason. Completed in 1941, Mount Rushmore is a cornerstone in South Dakota tourism. Towering at 5,725 feet with each head being the size of a six-story building, this goliath of a monument is truly a sight to behold.

Viewing the Shrine of Democracy is only one of the many things you can do while visiting Mount Rushmore. Take your time and hike multiple trails available on the property and visit the sculptor’s studio and museum where you can learn all about the monument.

While you are going to Mount Rushmore, be sure to take the scenic Iron Mountain Road on the way there. This winding road is full of magnificent Black Hills scenery, pigtail bridges, and gorgeous tunnels that perfectly frame Mount Rushmore as you approach the monument. Constructed in 1933 and designed to do the scenery justice, it’s suggested that you take this road at no more than 20 mph to really take in everything the Black Hills has to offer.

A can’t miss destination on your list should be Custer State Park. The 71,000 acres of the Black Hills offers a home to lots of including a chance to see the famous South Dakotan bison, just be sure to remain in your vehicle or stay back at least 100 yards from them!

Completed in 1922, this National Scenic Byway was deemed impossible to construct. The roadway was planned out by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck who marked the entire course on foot and horseback. This extreme highway offers 14 miles of sharp turns, narrow tunnels, and granite spires that are sure to leave you in awe.

Often clumped together with Mount Rushmore, this memorial deserves a place all its own. Sculpted to resemble Tasunke Witco (Crazy Horse) of the Oglala Lakota, this monument is the largest in-progress mountain carving in the world. Much more than just a colossal mountain carving, the Crazy Horse Memorial is home to several museums dedicated to not only the development of the monument but also the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people. Additionally, the monument is host to multiple programs and fellowships meant to honor artists, performers, and culture bearers as well as University programs for the next generation of young native people.

Here’s the thing, visit South Dakota once and the place SELLS ITSELF. Much more than just the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands, SoDak is the most scenic places you knew nothing about. Until now!

Forget the thousand-mile long road trips that crisscross the country—we have a great 17-mile one for you

What seems like a long bike ride is actually one of the most
picturesque portions of pavement in the country and it’s surrounded by fun
things to do. Read on to learn about this short but fascinating stretch of road
that is the Iron Mountain Road, including stops and where to stay.

Named for the infamous George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn, Custer State Park has 17,000 acres of natural beauty and adventure. There are several ways to explore the dozens of miles of trail in the park but hiking and biking are the most popular. If your feet are tired you can go on the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour, the Hayride and Chuck Wagon Cookout, take a guided tour on horseback, or rent a kayak or canoe to explore the park by water.

If you’re into camping, backpacking, wildlife, or big adventure, Black Elk Wilderness is the place for you. The area is named for the Oglala Sioux spiritual leader Black Elk and is sacred to many American Indians. The Wilderness area spans over 13,426 acres of rolling black hills, trails, and wildlife.

It’s also home to the 7,242-foot Black Elk Peak (formerly called Harney Peak) where you can see four different states from the summit. Black Elk has a unique ecosystem of rocky slopes and classic cragged peaks where you can spot mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and elk or you can toss your line in the water for the aquatic wildlife.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is the crown-jewel of an Iron Mountain Road trip. Located in Keystone, Mount Rushmore was completed in 1941 and has hosted millions of visitors since. It took sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his aptly-named son Lincoln around 14 years to carve the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

You can spend hours walking around the main plaza and gazing
up at the likenesses of the presidents but there’s more to do than sit and
stare. The best place to start is Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center (which is
temporarily closed through the rest of 2019) to see exhibits and watch a
14-minute movie that discusses the planning and execution of the monument.

After the Center you can stroll down Presidential Trail for
a quick snapshot of the area. If you have a half to full day you should book
yourself into a ranger-guided tour. If you’re more comfortable with your own
pace you can also try an audio tour with facts about the area and carving
Rushmore.

Iron Mountain Road is only 17 miles long but there are several great places to stay nearby. Custer State Park is packed with adventure but it’s also a great place to rest and recuperate. There are nine individual campgrounds for tent camping, RV camping, even camping for horses, so you’ll easily find a match for your camping needs. Several of Custer’s camping options come with electric and water hookups to meet all camping needs.

An often overlooked travel destination, South Dakota is a
land of breathtaking scenic beauty.

Here’s the thing, visit South Dakota once and the place SELLS ITSELF. Much more than just the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Badlands, SoDak is the most scenic places you knew nothing about. Until now!

After a rather long, prairie-flat preamble in the east,
western South Dakota abruptly changes into two beautiful but distinct
landscapes, the striated, fossil-rich sedimentary buttes of the Badlands and
the nearby mountains so thick in evergreens that the native Lakota called
them paha sapa—hills that are black.

Ironically, the defining feature of Western South Dakota’s
breathtaking nature is that it is indefinable. Exceptionally varied, yet
incredibly geographically close, you’ll witness the diversity of the natural
world while also experiencing how the landscape can change over time.

Start in Badlands National Park which is truly a natural anomaly. This rather off-putting nickname was first coined by the Lakota people, who called it “mako sica” (“land bad’), due to its extremity of temperatures, mixed prairie, and the exposed rugged and eroded sedimentary rock.

The Badlands Scenic Byway drops immediately beside the parks
serrated sandstone spires, which are banded in layers of purple, red, and
orange rock that indicate their age. It is these very characteristics,
however, that make it an ideal location for captivating vistas and off-beat
serene beauty.

A must-see road trip destination, Mount Rushmore is visited by 3 million people a year.

The construction in its entirety took over 400 workers more
than 14 years to sculpt, and will forever remain a testament to American
patriotism. There is something rather overwhelming about it, as if it is a
giant projection of a proud past on the rugged landscape of the indelible
natural land.

Another powerful and impressive monument in the works, yet
open to visitation is the Crazy Horse Memorial, a depiction of the fascinating
Oglala Lakota warrior. The privately-funded project began construction in 1948,
yet is still quite far from completion. Once completed, however, the statue,
carved out of Thunderhead Mountain, will be the world’s largest sculpture at
641 feet wide and 563 feet tall. Witness history in the making by adding this
stop to your itinerary!

South Dakota is also about those quirky roadside attractions.
A necessary pit stop is Wall Drug in the town of Wall (the gateway to The
Badlands), an establishment that embraces its quirkiness and welcomes 15,000 to
20,000 tourists a day. A stop at Wall Drug may include a cup of five cent
coffee, a buffalo sandwich in a restaurant that can seat 520 tourists at a
time, homemade pumpkin praline fudge, and a traveler’s chapel.

Life really is the journey and these words cannot reach
higher truth than referring to South Dakota. Driving through Custer State Park,
you will see nearly 1,300 buffalo roaming alongside burros, prairie dog, and
pronghorn antelopes.

Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, tell the story of the birth, growth, development, and preservation of America

“If you build it, he will come.” That oft-quoted line from
the film Field of Dreams has
equal resonance as the motivating force behind the formation of America’s
Shrine to Democracy—the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, this colossal
monument was the brainchild of state historian Doane Robinson, who conceived of
the mountain carving in 1924 as a way to draw people from all over America to his
state.

Mount Rushmore symbolizes the ideals of freedom, democracy,
and the American dream in the four 60-foot granite faces. This mountain carving
of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and
Abraham Lincoln draws over two million visitors a year (2,431,231 in 2016). It
is both a spectacular site and a man-made wonder.

The first blast on the mountain occurred in 1927. Under the
direction of sculptor Gutzon Borglum, 400 men and women worked through hot
summers and cold winters to create the 60-foot faces, nearly 500 feet up the
side of the mountain.

Over 90 percent of the mountain was carved using dynamite.
The fine details of the faces were achieved, using jackhammers and hand
chisels. Operators hung from the top of the mountain in bosun chairs held by
steel cables. Despite the dangerous work, in the 14 years it took to carve the
mountain, not a single person died. The memorial was officially declared
complete on October 31, 1941.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open year-round, seven days
a week and is located 23 miles from Rapid City. The memorial offers a
variety of activities so plan to spend at least four to five hours there.
Visitors can leave and return to the memorial the same day for the evening
lighting ceremony. Mount Rushmore also features a gift shop, information center,
and an award-winning audio tour.

Begin at the information center where staff and displays
will help you plan your visit to the memorial and the Black Hills region. From
here, go up on the walkway toward the sculpture and other facilities. The
Lincoln Borgham Visitor Center has exhibits on the carving of Mount Rushmore, a
14-minute film, “Mount Rushmore—The Shrine,” an information desk,
restrooms, and a bookstore. The Sculpture’s Studio displays models and tools
used in the carving process.

The Presidential Trail is a half-mile loop that provides
various views of the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial that can’t be
missed. This easy trail meanders through the pines and near the blasting rubble
left from workers carved the mountain decades ago. Along the trail, each
president is highlighted with history provided by plaques found along the way.

Follow the crowds, and you’ll end up at the Grand View
Terrace, just beyond the Avenue of the Flags. True, the head-on views are
spectacular and unobstructed. But you can do better. Walk the often-bypassed
loop around the base of the mountain. Climbing up the steps though ponderosa
pines, you can get a closer view of the faces at various twists and turns (and maybe
catch a glimpse of a Rocky Mountain goat or a mule deer, too).

Just outside Mount Rushmore, the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway
offers stunning views of the Presidential faces framed by the local landscape.

Heading southeast from the memorial, follow Highway 16A, a
twisting route down Iron Mountain Road. You’ll find tunnels that were
specifically carved to frame the faces, yet predate the monument itself. They
knew the mountain was going to be carved, so they constructed the tunnels to
show off the faces before they were ever there.

Keystone is the closest city in the Black Hills to Mount
Rushmore, which is located only three miles away. Rich in gold mining
history, the quaint town of Keystone
was once a boomtown after the discovery of placer gold two miles east of its
current location. Placer gold is still thought to exist in abundance but the
great depth of the deposits makes it difficult and impractical to reach.

Worth Pondering…

The noble countenances emerge from Rushmore, as though the
spirit of the mountain heard a human plan and itself became a human
countenance.